Spike's Letter 4/30 continued...

Okay now i am back from the interview and have like 45 minutes to write more. So don’t worry the interview went amazing. He just said that the work here seems to be doing good and that we are working hard and he knows that. He asked me about some investigators and things and it just went really well. Went by quick. I found out though that two of the missionaries from my group of 12 from the ctm have gone home. I am so shocked over it. I guess it was just things from before their mission. It is sad to see that happen. It happens a lot more than I ever realized. The two guys were from Utah also. It is sad. It is awesome though that they had the courage to confess and to make the things right that were wrong!It sounds like you guys are pretty concerned with my health and things there mom and dad. You do not need to worry…there is only one missionary from Ephrata WA who has this disease that he just caught here where he is constantly having blood in his stool and cannot balance himself to walk. Another missionary has a virus that he cannot get up without coughing up blood. They live in the same house! Good thing I do not live there! Seriously my health is super fine. I have not had any problems with anything. Only that it is hard for me to go to the bathroom but I am eating a lot of fruit to try and change that. If I need a doctor or help and things I will let you know for sure. You do not have to worry. If I need help and things I will let you know. I am running out of Vitamin C though. Have plenty of the other though. My health is fine. Just working out and staying active and watching out for my surroundings like dad always says. All I have to do is stay away from all the bum’s, and us my hand sanitizer a lot. I saw a guy in the street the other day that was sniffing cocaine…he had a huge wad of it and my companion said that it was like over twenty thousand dollars worth. That was pretty cool to see. Never seen it before. He was all shaky like he had some psycho disease or something. He probably did. But that is some cool story I will be able to share the rest of my life. The guy with a big wad of cocaine. There have been a lot of drug busts and things here lately. There is a ton of federal police here and tons of the federal police plans flying in all the time to try to put a stop to the smuggling and things. I am right close to Colombia and Venezuela and Guyana. Pretty nuts huh? Well it sounds like the trek and so on is getting really involving now. Your to the point now where you are spending hours on end doing the things to get it all ready. But you know what mom and dad, you guys may starve and be tired, but without amazing people like you two doing the behind the scenes work and things this thing would not ever happen. And you know why you were all picked to do and lead this is because everyone can count on you guys to get it one. You have work ethics and there is no doubt that it will be the best memories and stuff that the youth will ever have of YW or YM. Your guys work is not going to waste and I know that the endless hours that you are putting into it will be well worth it when you look back at it. I love you guys and I thank you two for doing now what the stake could not do when I was a part of it. I wish that I had that opportunity when I was in YM but I didn’t. now you guys just have to make it that much more special for the other kids, like nikell, who are going to be a part of it! You got to let me know how things are going on it and give me the details. When it it by the way?
So anyways I saw the pictures of mom, brynne, and mikin going to the park and heard about them walking and starting to get into shape. That is awesome!!! Mom you road your bike there to meet them too? That is awesome. What you probably think is even better than that is that you had a day that was actually nice that you could get out there and do those things. The kids had fun on the swing with nana too. That is cool you captured those pictures. Man I ca totally imagine everyone now. Walking around with you cameras looking for something to take pictures of and make a blog out of it. Ha. It is the GATTEN POPERATTI(spelling?) but seriously though. It is cool to see that you guys are actually getting into that. It looks like it is a lot of fun. It is especially nice to see the photos of everything that is going on. Yesterday we ate at this restaurant that is super amazing and it is a buffet. Well I have been trying to eat little amounts and to eat good, but I ate a ton. I ate so much I seriously could not work for like 3 hours after. In my whole life I do not think that I have ever been that full. I could not
think, or breath. I vowed never to eat that much again in my life. It really was not that much food I am just not used to eating anything actually. So I was super full, and I was walking in the street with my head down super tired, plus it was super hot, and I came along this concrete thing that was sticking out of this building for like air conditioners. I walked into it and split my head open. Then holding my head, walked over and rolled my ankle on the curb. I am such a klutz. I had a ruff day to say the least. But just forget I ever wrote this and that would be better. I really am loosing weight though and still working out and running daily so that is good, and I am improving somewhat I think. You can only do so much being a missionary though.
Well this week has been pretty crazy for me. Nothing to exciting happened. We have been teaching a lot and finding a lot of people to teach that have been inactive and such. Like I have said before the people just need someone to talk to them and to hear their concerns. It is a blessing being able to help them, this simple spike gatten can actually help someone out and influence the people for good and share the gospel with them. It is crazy. Sometimes I feel like I am still ten years old, and what I think and what I do does not effect others, and I am just insignificant. I can make a difference though. It has just taken me sometime to realize that I just need to decide that I can help people and just go and do it. We are starting to teach this older lady who is the girlfriend of a man in our ward. She is so excited about the gospel and for us to talk with her it is super cool. She will be baptized super fast. She is just one of those people who have been searching for something their whole life and now she has found it. It seems to be the case with many of the people that we are teaching. They are out there we just have to find them and put out the effort to share the gospel with them. We cannot be bashful or scared to do so. Sometimes I am and then I think why? If I know that these things are so true and I cannot deny them, then why not share my testimony. sharing your testimony is a blessing in and of itself. It gets strengthened as you share it, I have a testimony of that for sure. I have really been reading a lot in the beginning of the book of alma where amulek and alma are teaching the people and contending with Zeezerom. It is so awesome. They never contend with other with harsh words or actions, but they speak with the spirit and bear their testimonies. They quote the scriptures and they taught the gospel to the people who rebelled against god. What I learned out of most of it is that we need to have a firm testimony of the father and of his son jesus Christ. We must build our faith and our testimony upon this. Then we must nuture it by doing those things that we know we are supposed to do. All of the primary answers. Go to church, read the scriptures……as we do this our testimony grows and is strengthened. Then we must share it. Many times, especially before my mission I had a ton of opportunities to do so. As I talked with many of my friends about the gospel and why I had to go, sometimes I just basically shared my testimony with them. Many of them do not know what I believe and think that a mission is just something that I have to do. But when I actually share with them my beliefs and I know they feel the spirit everything changes and d then they understand. We need not be afraid of sharing our beliefs and our testimonies with others. There are many who will not or have trouble gaining a testimony on there own. They really wholly upon the testimonies of others. That is why it is important that we share ours so we can strengthen others. Who knows something you might say may be an answer to their prayers. So everyone, this coming fast Sunday, take the initiative and share your testimony. For some of you it may have been along time since you have done so, but I challenge you do so. I promise you that if you do you will grow spiritually and you will come away from it feeling so much better and have a new determination to do good. I love you guys and hope that you all have an awesome week. I am praying for every one of you and I hope that you know how much I love you. I will call not this Saturday but the next at 6 your time to give you details on the call for Sunday. CTR
I love you all
Your elder
spike